The Federal Government has denied the reports by some United Nations’ agencies of imminent famine in Nigeria, saying there was no threat of starvation in the country.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, who made the denial when he featured at a News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Forum in Abuja, also said the Federal Government was doing everything possible to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production before the end of 2018.
Three UN agencies, including Food and Agriculture Organisation, World Food Programme and International Fund for Agricultural Development, had reported that Nigeria would suffer famine, food shortage and malnutrition.
But Ogbeh said it was virtually impossible for Nigeria to face famine or starvation because the country remains a major source of food for other African countries such as Algeria, Libya and the rest.
But Ogbeh said it was virtually impossible for Nigeria to face famine or starvation because the country remains a major source of food for other African countries such as Algeria, Libya and the rest.
He said: “I think there’s a danger of mixing the situation in the North-East with the situation nationwide. I have seen that on CNN, starvation in Somalia and Nigeria, and then they go on to talk about the civil commotion in the North-East.
“I don’t think that the rest of Nigeria is facing any threat of famine. That is not true and I think these agencies have to be a little more careful in their prognoses.”
Ogbeh stressed that his ministry was trying to re-engineer food processing procedures in the country.
Ogbeh also said the Federal Government was doing everything possible to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production before the end of 2018, noting that there were strong indications that Nigeria would become self-sufficient in rice production by 2018 because many farmers had rediscovered their potentialities in rice farming.
He said: “First, let me congratulate Nigerians for responding positively to the made-in-Nigeria rice during the last Christmas period.
“Nigerians have discovered that Nigerian rice is better than rice from Thailand and Vietnam, which are the largest producers of rice in the world.
“We are in a rivalry with the two countries for now and we will soon overtake them in rice production and take over the market from them.
“People in Thailand do not eat parboiled rice but white rice. So, all the parboiled rice they produce is exported to Nigeria.
“Nigerians have discovered that Nigerian rice is better than rice from Thailand and Vietnam, which are the largest producers of rice in the world.
“We are in a rivalry with the two countries for now and we will soon overtake them in rice production and take over the market from them.
“People in Thailand do not eat parboiled rice but white rice. So, all the parboiled rice they produce is exported to Nigeria.
“Nigeria is the biggest consumer of imported rice in the world.
“By so doing, we are transferring our jobs to these two countries and leaving our teeming youths angry and hungry,” he said.
“By so doing, we are transferring our jobs to these two countries and leaving our teeming youths angry and hungry,” he said.
The minister, however, said that rice production in the country had improved appreciably, particularly in states like Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo.
Ogbeh said that in the northeastern part of the country, Kebbi, Kano, Jigawa, Sokoto, Katsina and Zamfara states were taking due advantage of their dams by engaging in rice production as well.
The minister said that the Federal Government had just imported 110 rice mills, adding that the mills would soon be distributed to communities across the country.
Ogbeh said the gesture was aimed at boosting the production and income of rice farmers, adding that some of the rice mills could mill 50 tonnes of rice per day.
“We are distributing the mills to communities, under a programme called `LIFE’, which entails taking industries to villages, because we don’t have the whole population in Abuja, Lagos, Enugu, Port Harcourt or Kano.
“We will satisfy our demand for rice. By so doing, we will be creating 20 million jobs in the villages and saving about five million dollars used for the importation of rice daily.
“We will satisfy our demand for rice. By so doing, we will be creating 20 million jobs in the villages and saving about five million dollars used for the importation of rice daily.
“Ironically, the recession in the country is not facing people in the villages. If you go to Kebbi now, there are about 400 millionaires made from rice, wheat and soya bean farming,” he added.
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